Electric hot water range



Jan. 4, 1938. o. A. KNOPP ELECTRIC HOT WATER RANGE Original Filed Nov.19, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. mm d.

W q az ATTORNE s.

Jan. 4, 1938. Q KNQPP' 2,104,045

ELECTRIC HOT WATER RANGE Original Filed Nov. 19, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. (Yak a1.

W wgfaw ATTORNE S.

Patented Jan. 4, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application November19, 1934, Serial No. 753,611 Renewed March 8, 1937 6 Claims.

This invention relates to electric ranges and particularly to a range inwhich the heat normally lost by conduction, radiation, and otherwise, isconserved and utilized for the heating of water.

The object of the present invention is generally to improve and simplifythe construction and operation of electric ranges; to combine the rangewith a water heater in such a manner that heat,

) which would normally be lost by conduction, radiation, and otherwise,will be conserved and utilized for the heating of water; to provide acombination electric range and water heater in which resistance controlof the heating unit be- 5 comes possible and practical and in which theheat developed at the resistance control is conducted to the water; and,further, to provide an electric heating unit carried by a refractoryplate and a control therefor, whereby when the electric 3 circuit isfirst closed a maximum current flow and an extra high energization willbe produced and in conjunction therewith a thermostat for automaticallycutting in a resistance to reduce the current flow to normal, when therefractory 5 plate reaches normal temperature, and also including aresistance control whereby the current flow may be further reduced tomaintain practically any heat or temperature desired.

The invention is shown by way of illustration 3 in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a partial perspective and partialdiagrammatic view of an electric range and a hot water storage tankconnected therewith.

Fig. 2 is a cross section of. one of the heating 5 elements in theelectricrange, said cross section showing a thermostat which cooperateswith the heating element.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line III-III at right angles toFig. 2.

3 Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 3, showing a modified form ofrheostat control.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the form of control shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the form of 5 control shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and particularly Figs. 1, 2, 3, and5, A indicates a. suitable form of range provided with a top plate inwhich is mounted a pair of electric heating units 3 B and C. These unitsare identical in construction and consist of a refractory plate 2 havinga spiral groove, or the like, formed in the upper surface in which isplaced an electric resistance heating element 3.

5 Enclosing all of the refractory plate except the upper surface andextending below the same to form a chamber 4 is a jacket or housing 5,which is connected with a hot water storage tank 6 through means ofpipes I and 8 to permit circulation of water as will hereinafter bedescribed. Extending into the housing 5 is a tube 9 and mounted thereinis a carbon compression rheostat I0, which is regulated by a screw H andan exterior handle 12. Disposed intermediate the refractory plate 2 ofthe heating element and the 10 upper portion of the housing 5 is athermostat arm l4 which terminates in a pair of contacts l5 and disposedbelow the housing is a resistance element l6, which will be furtherdescribed.

By referring to Fig. 5 the manner of. connecting the several control andresistance elements in an electric circuit will be described. In thisview l9 and indicate the supply wires of the circuit and 2| a mainswitch whereby the circuit is opened or closed. One terminal of theswitch is 20 connected through a wire 22 with one terminal 23 of theheating element 3, while the other terminal 24 of the heating element isconnected with a wire 25. This wire is, in turn, connected with thethermostat l3 and one of the contacts 25 I5 thereof, while the oppositeend of the wire 25 is connected with one terminal 25 of the resistanceelement IS. The other contact I5 is connected with a wire 21 and this isconnected with the other terminal 28 of the resistance element I5. Awire 29 is connected at one end with a wire 21 and at the opposite endwithone terminal 30 of the carbon compression rheostat l0 and the otherterminal 3| of this rheostat is connected through a wire 32 with theother terminal of the main 35 switch 2|.

When the switch 2| is closed current will first flow through the wire22, the heating element 3, the wire 24, the thermostat I4, and contactsl5, wire 21, and then through the carbon compression rheostat and backthrough wire 32 to complete the circuit. The circuit through thethermostat and contacts l5 permits the greatest flow of current throughthe element 3, and accordingly,

heats it to its maximum temperature, but as the 5 refractory plate heatsup, the thermostat arm II also becomes heated and the contacts l5separate; thus automatically breaking the circuit through the contactsl5. The current passing through the heating element 3 will thus flowthrough the wires 24 and 25 and through the resistance element It andthen through the wire 29 and the rheostat back through wire 32 tocomplete the circuit. This automatic cutting in of the resistancereduces the flow of current through the element 3 and automaticallylowers the tem-= perature in said element, thereby producing a mediumheat, and if it is desired to lower the temperature still further it isaccomplished by regulating the carbon compression rheostat through meansof the screw it and handle i2 and by this adjustment or regulation it ispossible to obtain practically any temperature desired in the heatingelement 3.

In Figs. 4 and 6 a similar arrangement is shown. The only difierencebeing that a carbon compression rheostat has been replaced by apermanent wire resistance 33 which is tapped at diiferent points, suchas shown at 36; these points being connected with a switch 35, hencemaking it possible to change the total resistance of the circuit intoany number of steps.

By referring to Fig. 1, it will be noted that the wires 22 and 32 havebeen extended so as to be connected with an auxiliary heating unit thdisposed within or adjacent the hot water storage tank 6. Wire 22connects with a thermostat 36. This controls the flow of current througha pair of contacts 3'! and these, in turn, are connected through a wire38 with the heating unit 35 and this, in turn, connects with a wire 32.The auxiliary heating unit 35 functions in the usual manner, and inaddition thereto insures thermosiphon circulation through the heatingunits B and O at all times, as a section of the heating coil 35 isalways connected in the main circuit through wire 40, the circuitthrough the remaining section being controlled by the thermostat 36. Asthe term perature rises above a predetermined point the thermostatbreaks the circuit and when the water temperature falls below apredetermined point the thermostat again closes the circuit, but it willbe understood that the unit 35 and thermostat 35 are entirely auxiliaryto the units B and C, as they will under normal operating conditionssupply sufflcient heat to maintain the water in the storage tank at theproper temperature' The tank e, by the way, may be built directly intothe range but obviously it may be placed at a point remote from or inclose proximity to the range.

The real purpose of the new appliance shown in this application is tocombine in one economical unit the features of a. standard domesticelectric range and a domestic storage type hot water heater. At thepresent time the two are separate units. They are sold by diflerentorganizations and frequently installed independently, requiring separatefloor space, separate connections, unnecessary legs and tops to makeeach an ornamental independent unit. Combining the two into one unit,for instance by placing the hot water storage tank directly in the rangecreates a considerable advantage. It brings about economy inconstruction, reduced cost of handling and installation, and a materialsaving in floor space.

In the attempt to secure the above economies it was discovered that itwas possible to obtain other economies and to materially improve theheat regulation. When the two units are combined it is possible to usethe waste heat of the range units B and O for heating water, that is,the heat which would ordinarily be lost by conduction and partialradiation and also the heat that is lost in the resistance l6 and in therheostat control; this heat being obviously saved as the rheostat isplaced directly within the water jacket and the unit It below the same.All heat liberated is delivered to the Jacket or to the water as thangers housing will obviously be surrounded by insulating material.

It has also been found that it is not necessary any more to design thetop units for maximum efilciency as whatever heat loss there may be willnot go to waste as it will be transferred to the water where it willbecome useful and bring about a saving of electricity otherwise requiredto heat the water.

The present arrangement makes it possible to use for the heat regulationof therange a system which was not possible or advisable to use withoutcombining the range with the hot water heater; that is, a resistancecontrol of the heating unit. The waste heat in the regulating resistanceis sent into the water and an almost ideal method of heat regulation canbe obtained which is as perfect as the regulation obtained with a gasrange as any degree of heat from maximum to minimum is obtainable.

Another advantage can be secured where it is desired to get extra highstarting temperature, this being possible by the use of the thermostatM. With the new combination of hot water heater and range here disclosedit is possible to place the resistance coil I6, which is cut in and out,in the water heater water circuit, thus accelerating the range unit 3without sacrificing any of the heating surface or attaching any contactsor complicated mechanism to the unit proper. All regulating resistancesor contacts may be permanently installed inside the range and the rangeunit 3 need consist only of a single spiral or other suitable resistancewhich engages the whole heating surface, thus obtaining uniform heatradiation from the whole surface at all times and at the same timepermitting variation of the degree of heat produced.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:-

I. In a heating apparatus of the character described a plate having anelectric resistance heating unit mounted therein, a housing disposed inheat conducting engagement with said plate, and serving as a waterheating and circulating housing, a resistance'rheostat for regulatingthe flow of current through the heating unit mounted within the housingand surrounded by the water in the housing, a hot water storage tank,and means for circulating water through the tank and the housing.

2. In a. heating apparatus of the character described a plate having anelectric resistance heating unit mounted therein, a resistance rheostatfor regulating the flow of current through the heating unit, a secondresistance unit and a thermostatically actuated switch for automaticallyconnecting the second resistance in series with the resistance heatingunit when said unit and the plate supporting the same reaches apredetermined temperature, a housing disposed in heat conductingengagement with the plate,

and the second-named resistance and enclosing the rheostat, a hot waterstorage tank connected with the housing to permit circulation of waterthrough the housing to absorb waste and conducted heat.

3. In a heating apparatus of the character described a plate having anelectric resistance heating unit mounted therein, a resistance rheostatfor regulating the flow of current through the heating unit, a secondresistance unit and a thermostatically actuated switch for automaticallyconnecting the second resistance in series with the resistance heatingimit when said unit and the plate supporting the same reaches apredetermined temperature, a housing disposed in heat conductingengagement with the plate and the second-named resistance and enclosingthe rheostat, a hot water storage tank connected with the housing topermit circulation of water through the housing to absorb waste andconducted heat, and a thermostat actuated electric heater connected withthe storage tank and operable independent of the first-named heatingunit.

4. In a heating apparatus of the character described a plate having anelectric resistance heating unit mounted therein, a housing disposed inheat conducting engagement with said plate and serving as a waterheating and circulating housing, a resistance rheostat for regulatingthe flow of current through the heating unit mounted so as to give oflfmost of its heat to the water circulating through the housing, a hotwater storage tank, and means for circulating water through the tank andthe housing.

5. In a heating apparatus of the character described a plate having anelectric resistance heating unit mounted therein, a housing disposed inheat conducting engagement with said plate and serving as a waterheating and circulating housing, a resistance rheostat for regulatingthe flow of current through the heating unit, a second resistance unitand thermostatically actuated switch for automatically connecting thesecond resistance in series with the resistance heating unit when saidunit and the plate supporting the same reaches a predeterminedtemperature, the resistance rheostat and the second named resistancemounted so as to give oiI most of its heat to the water circulatingthrough the housing, a hot water storage tank, and means for circulatingwater through the tank and the housing so as to store most of the wasteheat of the resistance heating unit, the second named resistance and therheostat.

6. In a heating apparatus of the character described a plate having anelectric resistance heating unit mounted therein, a housing disposed inheat conducting engagement with said plate and serving as a waterheating and circulating housing, a resistance rheostat for regulatingthe flow of. current through the heating unit, a second resistance unitand thermostatically actuated switch for automatically connecting thesecond resistance in series with the resistance heating unit when saidunit and the plate supporting the same reaches a predeterminedtemperature, the

resistance rheostat and the second named resistance mounted so as togive ofi most oi! its heat to the water circulating through the housing,a hot water storage tank, and means for circulating water through thetank and the housing so as to store most of the waste heat of theresistance heating unit, the second named resistance and the rheostat,and a thermostat actuated electric heater connected with the storagetank and operable independent of the first named heating unit.

O'I'IO A. KNOPP.

